The present invention relates to a conveyor belt washer and, more particularly, to a washer providing enhanced cleaning performance of a conveyor belt.
Conveyor belts are used in many industrial applications, including applications involving preparation of food products. It will be appreciated that a conveyor belt accumulates dirt and other deposits over time and through usage. Although cleanliness is desirable in many applications, it is particularly desirable, and often required, in food preparation applications. In addition to normal dirt and dust which might accumulate on a conveyor belt in a plant, use of a conveyor belt in a food application process often times exposes the belt to spillage and overflow of food products. Over time, these food products can become embedded and, in fact, baked onto the belt, particularly when the belt passes through a high temperature oven.
It will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that cleaning of conveyor belts in food application processes is a necessary and ongoing requirement. Often times, the washtank is permanently installed as part of the conveyor belt setup whereby a point on a conveyor belt will pass through the washtank each time it completely traverses the entire track of the setup.
Prior art washtanks have typically utilized a pair of opposing spray bars positioned on opposite sides of the belt and traversing the width of such belt whereby a first curtain of fluid is directed downward against the top surface of the belt and a second curtain of fluid is directed upwards against the bottom surface of the belt. In this regard, each spray bar includes a plurality of nozzles extending along the length thereof. It will be appreciated that as the number of nozzles increases (e.g., to traverse a wider belt), the velocity of the pressurized fluid exiting each nozzle decreases, and the fluid is therefore directed against the belt with less force. Of course, there is a practical limitation (based upon cost and engineering design criteria) regarding the amount of pressure which may be utilized in a conveyor belt washer.
Moreover, it will be recognized that the foregoing prior art design causes pressurized fluid to be directed against each point on the conveyor belt a single time only as such conveyor belt is passed through washer. Of course, a single application of pressurized fluid to a particular spot may be insufficient to loosen the dirt/debris secured to the belt.
It will be further appreciated that the use of opposing spray bars having a plurality of nozzles increases the difficulty and costs associating with servicing the washer. Particularly, the greater the number of nozzles, the greater the servicing requirements. Moreover, the location of the bars within the prior art tanks often makes access to such bars difficult.
It is of course advantageous to contain as much of the pressurized fluid within the tank as possible. Stated differently, the escape of any pressurized fluid (e.g., through spray) from the washtank during the washing procedure is preferably avoided. The known prior art washtanks often fail to provide adequate containment of the pressurized fluid therein during the washing procedure.
There is therefore a need in the art for a conveyor belt washer which provides increased cleaning performance, adaptability to various-sized conveyor belts including belts having substantial widths, improved serviceability, and improved containment of pressurized fluid within the washtank.